How has Cornell University changed over time?

Multi-year trends in admissions, enrollment, test scores, and cost. Every chart is labeled with its data source and the years it covers — no smoothing, no mixing sources.

Admission rate

Admission rate fell from 18% (2010) to 8.8% (2024).

Applicants and students admitted

Applicants rose from 36,338 (2010) to 62,993 (2024).

Enrollment

Total enrollment rose from 20,939 (2010) to 26,793 (2024).

SAT mid-50% range

SAT mid-50% range moved from 1330–1530 (2016) to 1500–1570 (2024).

ACT mid-50% range

ACT mid-50% range moved from 29–33 (2008) to 33–35 (2022).

Cost

In-state tuition rose from $41,541 (2011) to $72,270 (2025).

See how similar schools have changed

Amherst College, MA9% admitted

Babson College, MA17% admitted

Barnard College, NY8.8% admitted

Data from IPEDS and the College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education) and school Common Data Set filings; each chart names the source its series comes from. Most recent data year: 2025. Last updated October 19, 2026.